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Increasing Parental Well-Being After the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Through Relational Savoring.
Kaitlin M Lord1, HaLi Boyce1, Michelle A Fortier2,3
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA.
Family Process
|May 16, 2026
Summary
Relational savoring (RS) improved parent-child closeness and well-being for parents after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays. This positive psychology intervention particularly helped parents with prior perinatal loss, enhancing their connection and satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neonatal Care
- Parent-Child Relationships
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission is stressful for infants and parents.
- Few psychosocial interventions support parents, especially post-NICU.
- Relational savoring (RS) enhances positive relationship moments.
Purpose of the Study:
- Evaluate RS efficacy in post-NICU parents.
- Assess RS impact on parent-child closeness, parental well-being, and satisfaction.
- Investigate RS effects on parents with prior perinatal loss.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial with 240 US post-NICU parents.
- Compared RS intervention to a neutral control group.
- Measured closeness, emotional well-being, and satisfaction pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- RS significantly increased parent-child closeness, parenting satisfaction, and emotional well-being.
- RS led to a greater reduction in negative affect for parents with prior perinatal loss.
- The intervention demonstrated positive effects in a high-stress context.
Conclusions:
- Relational savoring is a scalable intervention for post-NICU parents.
- RS supports parent-child relationships and parental well-being.
- RS is particularly beneficial for parents with a history of perinatal loss.
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